I’m a historian of the United States, with specialties in Chicane/Latine histories and California. I study the past as a means of finding useful ways to analyze tensions marking our present: equality/inequality, equity/inequity, freedom/oppression, and democracy/empire. I locate my scholarship within the interdisciplinary fields of Chicane and Latine Studies, with meaningful interjections into Comparative Ethnic Studies and Cultural Studies.

I am currently at work on a book exploring the impact of the Vietnam War on Mexican American communities in the United States, based on oral histories with Chicano/Latino veterans of the Vietnam War and their families.

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MY BOOK

Latinos at the Golden Gate: Creating Community & Identity in San Francisco (2013) is the first in-depth historical inquiry of the Latin American-descent population in San Francisco, California. Stretching from the Gold Rush to the post-World War II era of social change, it details the historical forces and processes which gave rise to a diverse population of Spanish-speaking migrants to the city, and the myriad ways they and their descendants coalesced to forge and express a shared sense of identity and community.

Buy Latinos at the Golden Gate: Creating Community & Identity in San Francisco

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MY PLAY

When a group of Mexican American veterans and their wives gathers to share their stories, an entire generation comes alive. From the barrios of Los Angeles to the jungles of Vietnam, this unique “testimonio” style play connects audiences to the invisible histories within our very communities. Based on actual oral histories with Chicano Vietnam vets and their families, Ring of Red: A Barrio Story is a reminder of the enduring sacrifices of war and a powerful testament to the human spirit.

Ring of Red: A Barrio Story premiered in a seven-show run from September 20-30, 2018 at The Bootleg Theater (2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles). It was written and produced with support from The Whiting Foundation, the History Department at Pomona College, and the Intercollegiate Department of Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies at the Claremont Colleges.

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MY EXHIBITS

Sounds of Pomona: Coming of Age in the Golden Era of Music, 1955-1975 is an exhibit and series of events celebrating the stories of youth, music, and community in Pomona, California. Drawn from oral histories with Mexican Americans and African Americans who lived this history, and the music, photos, and other visual memories of this special time, Sounds of Pomona connects us to the past while helping us think about the role of music in all our lives.

Sounds of Pomona: Coming of Age in the Golden Era of Music, 1955-1975 was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional support was provided by Pomona College.

November 11, 2023 – February 24, 2024
The dA Center for the Arts (Pomona, CA)

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Voices Veteranos: Mexican America and the Legacy of Vietnam is a community history and arts exhibit based on the stories of Latino military veterans and their families. In an attempt to better understand the unique contributions of Mexican Americans to these events, as well as the powerful ways this history shaped our communities for decades to come, Voices Veteranos brings oral history, art, video, and historical artifacts together in an exhibit connecting us all to the living sacrifices of earlier generations.

Voices Veteranos was made possible with support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and a partnership between Pomona College and The dA Center for the Arts.

March 11, 2017 – April 15, 2017
The dA Center for the Arts (Pomona, CA)